Russia Steps Up Jet-Drone Attacks as Kyiv Faces New Strain

The Big Picture

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine using jet-powered Geran drones that can travel at more than 300 mph, creating a growing challenge for Ukrainian air defences and adding pressure on Kyiv as the country prepares for a difficult winter.

Ukraine’s military told the BBC that the number of jet-powered drone attacks rose from 350 in June to 1,600 in July and 2,800 in August. BBC Verify’s analysis of Ukrainian Air Force data found that Russia launched the upgraded drones every day in August, the first month in which daily attacks by the models were recorded.

The acceleration in their use comes alongside increasingly complex Russian aerial barrages combining drones, decoy drones, ballistic missiles and other weapons. BBC Verify found that Russia was carrying out attacks involving hundreds of drones and missiles about once a week.

What Happened

Kyiv has been under daily drone and missile attack since late August, according to The Guardian. On 11 September, strikes on two petrol stations in the capital killed at least two people and injured 12, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Local authorities said Russia carried out a double-tap attack on a Ukrnafta petrol station in Kyiv’s Pochaina neighbourhood, meaning the site was hit twice. The strikes followed an attack on another petrol station on 10 September.

The Guardian reported that jet-powered drones struck three Kyiv petrol stations over the two-day period, all operated by Ukrnafta, a state-owned oil and gas extraction company. The newspaper said the 10 September strike was the first known attack of its kind on a petrol station in the capital.

Russian drones were also part of an attack wave on 1 September that killed at least 12 people and injured 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Six of the casualties were railway workers after a depot was hit in Kyiv.

Why It Matters

The new drones are substantially faster than earlier Russian models, making them more difficult to intercept. Marina Miron, a military-technology expert at King’s College London, told the BBC that their speed was the reason they posed a greater challenge to Ukraine’s defences.

Zelensky previously said Ukraine had intercepted 94% of Russian long-range drones. But on 10 August, military-intelligence deputy chief Maj Gen Vadym Skibitskyi said Ukraine needed interceptor missiles capable of matching the speed of the jet-powered drones.

Ukraine’s military intelligence has said some of the turbojet engines used in the drones are sourced from China. Four Ukrainian companies have begun testing missiles intended to shoot down the newer Geran models, Ukrainian officials said, and Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara has ordered production of thousands of units as quickly as possible.

Background

The more capable drones blur the distinction between one-way attack drones and lower-end cruise missiles, John Hardie of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told the BBC. But Conflict Armament Research said the jet-powered drones still have a shorter range and smaller warheads than cruise missiles and are more susceptible to jamming.

Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify appeared to show Russia adapting facilities for jet-powered drone operations, including a new base at Tsymbulova in Russia’s Oryol region, about 175 km from Ukraine’s border. The region was named in almost every attack by August, after not appearing in Ukrainian Air Force launch-site reports before September 2024, the BBC reported.

What Each Side Is Saying

Sergiy Fedorenko, acting head of Naftogaz, Ukrnafta’s parent company, said there could be no military objective behind the petrol-station strikes and described them as terror directed at civilians.

Ukraine has also continued strikes on Russian energy-related infrastructure. Ukrainian special forces said they struck facilities at the Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala in Russia.

What Happens Next

The expanding use of faster drones is likely to deepen the contest between Russian strike capabilities and Ukraine’s air-defence supply. Zelensky met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on 10 September, and Carney offered support to help boost Ukraine’s drone stocks, according to The Guardian.

Whether Ukraine can field new interceptors quickly enough, while sustaining its existing defences against larger and more varied Russian attacks, is set to be a central question in the months ahead.